


and you will surely be the death of me (but how could i have known)

by naeiouuu



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Alliance Pride, Battle for Azeroth, Drustvar, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Human/Void Elf, Hurt/Comfort, It's a quest!, Jaina Proudmoore thirst, Light Angst, Original Character(s), Slow Burn, Vows of Silence, Witches, it's really gay, monk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-07-10 14:25:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15951188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naeiouuu/pseuds/naeiouuu
Summary: Good. The faster they returned to Fallhaven, the better. Carys was eager to find out why her father had disappeared so abruptly because the more she thought about him, the more the worry would eventually drive her insane. And, attempting to tame the wild beating of her heart as the thoughts swirled in her head, she wanted to learn more about Blue, the mysterious monk who had joined their party.Or, Carys takes a long, winding route to find her missing father and finds a family and love along the way.(F/F with a human and a void elf falling in love.)





	and you will surely be the death of me (but how could i have known)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends! 
> 
> This fic has been attempting to bust out of my brain for the past few weeks since BFA was released. I absolutely loved the Drustvar storyline - especially Lucille Waycrest, the lady that I have a giant crush on. I wrote a reimagined piece that borrows from Drustvar's lore about a human NPC who falls in love with a void elf monk (my main toon). This will be the first chapter in a planned few. 
> 
> This fic introduces original characters with mentions to our favourites from the Warcraft universe. Apologies if there are any mistakes - I did my best to edit without another set of eyes! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading!

_and like the dawn_  
_you broke the dark_  
_and my whole earth shook  
_ like the dawn - the oh hellos

There was something about the woods that felt so incredibly eerie that prompted Carys to wrap her thick woolen cloak tighter around her frame. Her white dress shirt billowed in the biting wind, though the leather vest she wore that rested on top kept it from shifting. There were few things in her life that she treasured dearly, and her cloak - originally her father’s - was one of the few things that she had kept with her when she’d left her hometown of Fallhaven. She brought a hand gently over the fraying wool, tracing the intricate weaves with a finger. 

She missed her father dearly. It was almost painful to wonder about what had become of him. What would they find when they finally reached Fallhaven? She dreaded the thought and the fear, already paralyzing, multiplied even greater.

The wind and its howls were unnerving, cutting through their camp so sharply that the meagre fire her companions had built whipped back and forth like a candle on the verge of being blown out. It had to have been close to dawn, but the canopy of the Wayward Thicket was so dense that neither moonlight nor sunlight could filter through.

Carys took a quick glance around the campsite, where her companions slept snugly in their sleeping furs, bodies halfway tucked into their tents. She was so grateful for their presence. She wasn't made for adventuring, or fighting, or... anything dangerous, really. The woods truly set her on the edge of uncomfortable, as though anything could burst out of the forest at any moment to attack them. Drustvar’s forests were known for their wildlife, after all, be it wolves or deer or ravens. 

All her life she'd been groomed to take over her father's mayorship of Fallhaven in Drustvar when he retired. She'd even earned approval from Lady Waycrest herself, whom her father had served as his liege for most of his life. 

But now her father was missing, the valley was in chaos from a spreading darkness of foul, evil magic, and the only clue as to where he had disappeared was back home. It required them to journey through the godforsaken forest from their landing at Hangman’s Point. Mustering a small party to find him, while no easy task, had been a necessary step before they could venture through the perilous lands of Drustvar - there was no way she could have done this alone. 

There was Bren, the leader of their party, who sported a large, thick beard and had an even larger personality. His once-luscious head of hair had thinned over the years and shades of grey peppered the few strands that remained. He had been her father's personal bodyguard for many years, before he'd taken on the role as  _her_  bodyguard in his absence. She was fond of the way he could heartily regale a story by the fire with the right amount of ale; was even fonder of the way he cared for her like she was his own family. In many ways, he was as close to being her father figure as her actual father had been. 

Her gaze passed over his sleeping form, an affectionate smile touching her lips. He slept noisily, as he always did, and at his roaring snore, Carys was left wondering how the others slept with the thundering racket. That wasn't quite the reason why she was awake, however. The unnerving nature of the woods brought a shiver down her spine. The darkness felt oppressive and ominous and she took a deep, steadying breath, inhaling the heavy scent of pine and the faint stench of iron. Knowing that the Barrowknoll Cemetery was nearby did not make it any easier on her nerves.

Her tired eyes drifted to the pair of night elves that had made their sleeping nest against a tree: the druid, Ceren, and his twin sister, Taryn, slept with their backs against the wood and a shared blanket draped across their legs. Even sound asleep, Taryn kept a loose grip on her oak longbow, Carys noted with respect. Although, her forest-green hood was pulled over her face so that Carys could not be sure if the elf was awake or not. Her brother, however, slept deeply. His jaw hung slightly open as he snored softly, a thin line of drool coating the side of his goatee.

The siblings were alway so serious in the waking hours that the sight of Ceren's peaceful slumber was a delightful sight, even more so after the burning of the world tree, Teldrassil. Carys felt their loss deep in her heart. Their people had been massacred in cold blood. Most of them had been innocent women and children, burnt alive with nowhere to run. It was senseless violence at its most cruel, dealt by the merciless Horde. Many nights, her heart broke when she overheard Ceren's soft cries and Taryn's whispered comforts as they mourned for their people. They had lost their younger siblings, their parents,  _hundreds_  of their people in the horror. Still, the twins had agreed to accompany her on this mission and she owed them a great debt of gratitude. 

The wind whistled and howled almost grotesquely, and Carys wasn’t entirely sure if it hadn’t picked up on the sounds of some sort of terrifying beast. She moved closer to the flickering fire, feeding a log to the dying flames before warming her hands and legs as it was lit anew.

With renewed warmth, she glanced at the others who made up their party. Angus, the burly dwarf who was almost half her height, was comically small in his large tent, so much so that his great battle-axe laid across the entrance of his tent like a protective ward with plenty of room to spare. She knew how much he hated using his axe (which he'd affectionately named _Darla_ ) to cut their firewood, but the neat pile of logs next to the fire made her heart swell with affection for the gruff dwarf.

Carys’ gaze drifted to the only other member of their party who remained awake. Her eyes, she knew, would be scanning their surroundings vigilantly. Her heart stuttered in her chest when she found pensive eyes watching  _her_  instead. Her companion’s eyes were a striking sliver-blue, glowing brightly like beacons in the darkness the woods. Then they bobbed downward with a slow nod of acknowledgment in her direction.

Carys knew little of the elven monk who'd only recently joined their party, but Bren had spoken of her deeds - an Alliance champion who had fought in the frontlines against the Burning Legion, a force of demons that sought to take over the universe. A  _Void_  Elf! Carys had wanted to meet a  _ren'dorei_  for months now, ever since she'd learned about the elves who had infused themselves with tumulous energies of the void. And Bren, bless his heart, had recruited one directly into their party. One who studied under the legendary Alleria Windrunner, no less. Even more so, Bren had told her of the monk’s fighting prowess. The way she dismantled foes in seconds with powerful strikes of her bare fists and kicks was, apparently, a sight to behold.

But the elf did not speak. Instead, she masked most of her face with a thick blue cloth that Carys recognized as monk wrappings. The theme continued down her body with blue-accented leather gloves and leggings, ending in brown banded leather boots. Everyone in the party had taken to calling her Blue - from the tint of her skin, to her mask, to her hair - and it was obvious, from brightness in her eyes whenever anyone referred to her as such, that she'd loved it. Despite her silence, Carys noted that Blue spoke volumes in her body language: the quirk of an eyebrow, the jut of a slender hip, the narrowing of her eyes whether in delight or a glare. No matter how much she fought it, she found everything about Blue to be incredibly fascinating.

Belatedly, she realized that she'd been staring for an inappropriate amount of time when the monk’s eyebrow shot up teasingly. She looked entirely too comfortable sitting with her back against a tree, arms crossed loosely across her chest. Her body was relaxed and at rest, but Carys knew that she could spring to action in the span of a second if any danger presented itself.

She felt a stirring in her belly, like a thousand butterflies had taken root in the pit of her stomach as a deep flush tinted her cheeks pink. She was suddenly grateful for the darkness of the woods. The reflection of the fire  would surely mask her blush too... right? Judging by the curious tilt of Blue's head, it had not. Shit, her cheeks were flaming. Carys ducked her head so that her long brown curls fell over her features, pretending that the burning fire was a more interesting sight than the woman in front of her.

She decided to speak through her embarrassment of the moment, hoping that her voice was steady enough so as to not make an even bigger fool of herself. She whispered, trying to not wake the others from their rest, "Are you not freezing? You don’t have a cloak."

Blue gave a solemn shake of her head and gestured to the fire. Then she pulled a leather waterskin from the belt at her waist and held it out in Carys' direction. Curious, Carys scooted closer to receive it, cheeks burning all the while. But when she took a hearty swig of what she'd assumed to be water, she choked on regret and the whiskey that hit the back of her throat with a vengeance.

“Oh  _god_ , Blue.  _Why?_ " she sputtered and coughed, throat burning fiercely. But a warmth quickly settled across her body as it reacted to the alcohol. She froze when she heard a chuckle emanate from beneath the blue cloth that covered the monk's face. It was soft and musical, and Carys decidedly wanted to hear more of it, as often as possible. She met Blue's bright, mirth-filled gaze, and couldn’t help but grin at the enchanting sound. The monk gave a shrug, like she was saying wryly,  _Now you know._

Carys narrowed her eyes playfully, though she smirked to let Blue know that she wasn't upset. Handing the waterskin back to her, she added with a smirk, "If I am sick tomorrow, you shall have to carry me all the way to Fallhaven."

Blue only gave a gracious nod, bowing her head gently, though her eyes were squinted with mirth. Then to Carys' surprise, she began to remove the cerulean cloth from her face. She watched almost hungrily, painfully curious, as more and more of Blue’s face was revealed, like the gods themselves had decended to gift her this sight. She'd never seen her remove her wrappings before - they'd only been travelling together for a couple of days and Carys had never quite stayed up this late before.

Gods help her, Blue was beautiful. Carys fought to hide a gasp as her eyes followed the sharp line of her jaw, to the fullness of her lips and the attractively high arches of her cheekbones. She quickly took in the large faded scar that ran on the right side of Blue’s face, from her nose down to the side of her jaw. 

Carys froze when their eyes met again, quickly darting her gaze away. The burning in her cheeks at being caught staring must have made her look like a torch.  _Again_. She was such a mess. 

“I’m very sorry for staring, Blue. That was rude of me,” Carys apologized after a moment, hesitantly meeting Blue's eyes across the fire. She hoped that she hadn't freaked her out with how... strange she'd been acting all night. Perhaps it was the forest making her forget how to be normal. 

To her relief, the monk only offered a knowing smile and a slow blink of her eyes to let her know that there was no need for an apology - an action that reminded Carys of a cat - before bringing the waterskin to her lips for a drink. Blue gently folded the cloth and tucked it into a hanging pouch at her belt where she would keep it until they were on the move again in the morning. 

"I've been meaning to ask," she began, pausing hesitantly when Blue glanced up at her inquisitively. "Is blue your favorite color?"

Blue huffed, obviously not expecting the question, sporting a toothy grin as she bobbed her head excitedly. She gave her long hair a couple of tugs; most of it was colored a deep, royal blue that she swept over a shoulder. She ran a hand down the front of her tabard, which was coloured with the same shade of blue. Her tabard sported the symbol of the Alliance - the face of a majestic lion within the crest of a shield. 

While Kul'Tirans were initially wary of the faction that had turned their backs on them all those years ago, the Lord Admiral had pledged their renewed support for the Alliance once again with Jaina’s reinstatement to the Proudmoore Admiralty. It seemed that Carys would soon be a part of the Alliance too, seeing as how Fallhaven was a major hub for grain and livestock for Kul'Tiras as a whole. 

Carys was surprised when Blue began to dig into the pockets of her trousers. The monk gestured for Carys’ hand to receive whatever it was - and Carys hesitated, having been burned by the whiskey already. It must have showed on her face because Blue rolled her eyes and laughed as she reached out for her hand. 

Of all the things she'd expected the gift to be, she didn't expect a small, round blueberry to be deposited into her palm. 

"A blueberry!" Carys slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the incredulous giggles that shook her, closing her other fist gently around the blueberry. "Should I be calling you Blueberry instead?" she asked wryly, trying to control her laughter before she woke the others. Searching Blue's eyes for permission, she popped the berry past her lips. It burst on her tongue, sweet and tart and pleasant.

The monk shared her grin, delighted at having made her laugh so hard. Then she stood, giving Carys a small bow and a smirk that made her heart stutter in her chest. Almost soundlessly, with her footsteps so light she barely left a print in the earth, Blue moved across the camp to nudge Bren awake for his turn of watch.

When Bren snorted himself awake at the disturbance, Carys had to hold back another laugh. Blue jumped gracefully backwards to avoid his wildly flailing arms as he sat up abruptly. His hulking six-foot frame jolted almost violently as he spotted the elf standing silently at the corner of his vision. He took in the amused quirk of Blue’s lips with a scowl before running a hand down his face to wipe the residual sleep away.

"Jesus. You're too goddamn quiet, you know that?" he muttered in that deep voice of his, moving sluggishly to throw his blanket off his legs. He stood, stretching his back with an audible pop before retrieving his sword and shield from a nearby tree. Carys watched as he replaced them near his sleeping bag for easy access. With his weapons close by, he moved sit on the log across from hers. His eyes narrowed in a playful glare at Carys when he heard her muffled giggles, she could see him fighting to keep a smile off his face as he jabbed a finger in her direction. "You. To sleep."

Carys rolled her eyes with a smirk, enchanted by Blue's amused huff of laughter when she replied with, "Okay,  _dad_."

He  _hmphed_  at her as he muttered, "Smartass," before beginning his early morning routine of redressing his armor in companionable silence. He started by donning chainmail armor over his light undershirt and pulling a thick, grey long-coat over; its length reaching the middle of his thighs. The coat itself was old and patchworked with stitches running down the arms, almost reminiscent of what Kul'Tiran sailors wore at sea, though Carys could not quite recall if Bren had ever been a sailor in his younger days. It looked so warm and comfortable that she was tempted to steal it. Bren warmed himself on the fire, keeping a watchful eye on the forest as he tended to it.

She watched from the corner of her eye as Blue resettled herself against the tree she'd been resting against earlier, preparing to sleep now that her watch was over. A combination of sudden exhaustion, the residual warmth from her interactions with Blue, and the lingering fear of the forest made Carys brave enough to sit down next to her, much to the monk's surprise. Carys gave her a nervous smile and confessed quietly, "I'm a little afraid of the forest."

Blue's eyes softened with understanding as she slumped against the mossy bark, patting her shoulder to indicate that Carys was allowed to rest against her. She was touched beyond belief, feeling her cheeks flush already just from their close proximity, and feeling the safest she'd felt since they'd entered the thicket during the day. 

Blue's shoulder was welcoming and warm when she leaned against it and Carys had to fight from breaking into a grin when she felt Blue hesitantly rest her cheek gently against her in return. 

 _Safety_. 

A sense of security washed over her, one that she thought she’d never feel again after her father disappeared. The last time she’d felt this safe, her father had been cradling her in his arms before she’d left Fallhaven to trade their produce in Boralus, where she would remain to study under the healers there. 

A comforting warmth blossomed in her heart, spreading across her chest and seeping to the edges of her body, leaving her limbs relaxed and loose as she fell into a deep slumber.

***

She awoke to a camp in chaos.

Blue jolted against her at the sound of Taryn's insistent yelling of, "Up! Now!" which was punctuated by Ceren’s challenging roar, quickly growing deeper and more ferocious as he shapeshifted into a massive black bear. 

Carys’ eyes shot open in fear as the sound of snarls and the snapping of jaws filled the otherwise still morning air. They were under attack, just as she'd feared all night. 

The warmth of Blue was quickly replaced by a chilled wind as the monk leapt into action. Carys scrambled to her feet as well, eyes darting around wildly to take in the battle around her. 

She gasped in horror when she caught sight of the intruders to their camp. Their attackers were vicious wolf-like creatures that crawled on all fours, but where her eyes expected to find fur and skin, they instead found a grotesque amalgamation of twigs, sinew and razor-sharp bone. Their skulls were those of a stag, tied down to a body of twisted branches by raw sinewy muscle that stained the wood with blood. 

A ghostly black-and-blue mist permeated the core of their torsos and the dark magic that sustained them gave off a foul, rotting stench.  _Witches,_ her brain supplied. She'd know that smell anywhere - it had permeated every inch of Drustvar in the past year, evident that the Coven was growing ever bolder. 

They were beasts of nightmares, of myth, of legend. Her father had spoken of the wicker-beasts in stories he'd told her as a child - that they would steal her away in her sleep if she didn't finish her chores. But the monsters in her nightmares were suddenly  _real_  and they were ferocious, snarling, and utterly terrifying. Carys fought to keep from retching at the sight of these abominations.

Six beasts had encroached into their camp, snarling and snapping as they charged forward with antlers so sharp that they would surely cut through leather as though it were paper. Six for six - there was a beast for each of them.

Bren had already engaged with two, using his shield to hold off snapping jaws and barbed teeth as his sword swung around expertly in an attempt to cut through the beasts. His sword chipped away steadily at their torsos, but the beasts continued their ferocious assault without even acknowledging it. Did they even feel pain? The sharp edge of Bren's sword didn't even seem to make much progress against the dense, tangled mass of wood and bone that made up the creature's bodies.

An arrow whistled from above her, drawing her attention upwards. Taryn had taken a vantage point in a nearby tree, where she had the best view of the camp and where she must have been before waking the others to the danger. She did her best to shoot arrow after arrow into the creatures that had fixated on Bren, but she kept a close eye on her brother's fight as well, sending an arrow at his beast whenever Ceren took heavy swipes at it with a mighty paw. 

It was at that moment where Angus gave a rallying cry as he charged across the camp, swinging his axe heavily against one of the beasts, slamming into it with so much force that it let out a pitiful yelp as it impacted against a tree. The blue-black mist dissipated as the wicker-beast fell limp. 

“Bren – use blunt force! Your shield!” Carys yelled out, hoping that the others heard as well – swords and slashes did nothing to hurt the beasts, but crushing them seem to have had the most effect so far. Bren glanced over at her, and with a nod, began slamming his shield into the beasts with as much force as he could muster. 

That left two more beasts for her and Blue. 

The only weapon she carried was a dagger, one that had been passed down from her mother. But it was small and was practically useless against a beast that was twice her size. She pulled the dagger from her scabbard around her thigh anyway, though her hand shook with fear when one of the beasts fixated on her at the motion. 

She froze, eyes wide in terror.  _No, no, no_. The beast lowered its head, baring its antlers at her, rearing to rush forward. This was how she was going to die. She was going to be gored to death by an abomination and she was never going to see her father again. 

The wicker-beast let out an earpiercing shriek as it charged forward. Carys could only watch, frozen in place with a gripping fear, as it approached with alarming speed. 

She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain. 

 _Crack!_  

Her eyes shot open. Blue sprung into action, slamming both fists down on the beast's skull again and Carys watched as its skull cracked with so much force that the beast flipped forward and collapsed in a heap. The quick series of arrows that embedded themselves into the beast - courtesy of Taryn – finally put the creature to rest.

Blue gave her a quick once-over to ensure that she wasn't hurt, brow furrowed and lips twisted with worry, but her pause left an opening for another beast to barrel into the elf from behind.

"Behind you!" Carys yelled as Blue spun gracefully on her feet to narrowly avoid the charge. 

But she wasn't quick enough. 

Blue cried out in agony as an antler ripped into her as she spun, slicing deep gashes across her back where the beast had body-slammed her. Carys watched with horror as both of them went tumbling to the ground.

The monk barely managed to get her hands around the beast's snout before it could sink its teeth into her neck, letting out a pained grunt as she fought against its supernatural strength.

At the sound and the sight, Carys willed her legs to just  _move._  She gripped the dagger tightly with a white-knuckled fist and jammed it into the creature's skull with a strength and a vengeance that she had never known she possessed. 

A spider-like crack formed from where the knife had embedded its skull and Carys retreated a couple of steps before the bone shattered into pieces. The beast went limp with a whimpering yelp and Blue deftly rolled out from under it before it crushed her.

Breathing heavily and eyes flaring with pain, Blue spared a moment to steel herself against the agony of her wounds before surveying the scene around them with sharp, calculating eyes. They'd managed to incapacitate three out of the six beasts, but Bren, Angus and Ceren were still engaged with three more. With how aggressive the wicker-beasts were, the three men had no choice but to take defensive stances. They were at a stalemate, and Taryn was unable to bring them down with only her bow and arrows.

Carys watched in awe as Blue took a deep breath, and in the span of second, a shimmering dark purple energy surged across the monk's skin, coating her in translucent shadow. Her jaw dropped at the sight. There she was: a void elf at the height of her power.

Blue glanced up suddenly. Her familiar eyes; those blue,  _blue_  eyes, met Carys' for a moment, as though reassuring her that she was still in control of the void even as she wielded it as weapon, an extention of herself. 

Then she charged into the fray with all the fury and grace only a master windwalker could possess.

Blue strided up to the nearest creature, slamming a flurry of blows into its skull. With each slam of her palm splintering bone, the beast collapsed in seconds with feeble whimpers. For good measure, Ceren ripped into creature's torso with both claws to ensure that it would never move again.

Blue passed the druid a satisfied nod, before she sped the short distance to the two remaining beasts that were being fended off by the joint efforts of Angus and Bren. 

It was almost ethereal the way Blue moved, so light on her feet and so agile that it almost felt like a dance. But each strike of her palm was, Carys knew, made with so much calculation and force to shatter bone. She was transfixed by the sight of her. 

She easily dispatched the first beast as it deadlocked its antlers against Angus’ axe by slamming her fist down into its skull as she had done to the others, splintering bone and branch until the blue-back mist dissipated. 

Pirouetting on the spot, she slammed her leg into the jaw of the other beast in a devastating blackout kick to knock it onto its back. Angus quickly brought his great axe down into the belly of the prone beast with a heavy grunt. Ceren had barely managed to join them when the last beast hit the ground with a resounding thud. 

With all the beasts finally dispatched, the group took a collective breath of relief. Ceren shifted back to his usual form while his sister landed in the grass softly next to him.

“ _Phew_ , lass, remind me never to get on ‘yer bad side,” Angus huffed, breaking the silence. He leaned on his great axe as he regarded Blue with something akin to awe. Carys knew the feeling all too well. In fact, she still found it difficult to look away from the purple void energies that still swirled across her skin. 

The monk smiled bashfully when the others turned to her, and slowly, the deep purple tint to her skin faded back to her usual light blue. She took in a deep breath, as though mentally pushing the Void out of her consciousness. Blue silently tied her wrappings around her head once more so that only the upper half of her face could be seen, clearly uncomfortable with the attention she'd gotten. 

Fortunately, perceptive as he was, Bren noticed her discomfort and quickly waved the others away, announcing, "If anyone's injured, go see Carys. The rest o' ya get ready to move before more of those  _things_  show up."

Carys stayed put, but Ceren and Taryn shuffled away to pack their things while Angus muttered to himself as he walked off, "Bah, can't even take a minute 'ta catch me breath."

Evidently, none of them were injured because none of them approached her. Carys took a moment to press a palm to the middle of her chest, trying her best to catch her breath after the chaos of the morning. Her heart still pounded loudly in her ears, but she felt her limbs go weak and loose as the adrenaline left her body. 

She moved to Bren's side as he was dismantling his tent. "We're on the right track then," she said, folding her arms pensively as she leaned against the nearest tree.

Bren gave a slight pause in the middle of rolling his sleeping skins. "What makes you say that?"

"Wicker-beasts are created by witches of the Coven. The fact that there was one for each of us - that's no coincidence, Bren. They've taken him and they don't want us to find out why. I know it."

He finally turned to regard her. "The Thicket has always been home to all manner of terrors, Carys. The Coven has gotten bolder in recent years... but I won't make any assumptions until we reach Fallhaven and see what's become of our beloved town," he replied grimly.

Carys let out a breath, pursing her lips despondantly. The thought of Fallhaven possibly in ruins was enough to dampen her mood. "It's been a while since I've been back home. I wish it could have been under better circumstances."

"How go your studies in Boralus?" he asked instead, unsubtly changing the subject when he noticed her mood shifting. He grinned when she lit up visibly at the thought of the capital of Kul'Tiras.

"Oh, it's incredible, Bren," she breathed, clasping her hands together with emotion. "The harbor's so lively in the day and the people are so interesting. I even started an apprenticeship at the local hospital before father's last message came through." Her face colored as she studied the ground intently. She continued with a shy smile, "Lady Jaina stopped by the other day to purchase some healing herbs."

At that revelation, Bren guffawed, slapping his knee heartily as he howled with laughter. He was well aware of the crush she had on the Lord Admiral herself, who had recently taken over leadership of Kul'Tiras from her mother. Carys felt her cheeks darken even more as she slapped Bren's arm in embarrassment, narrowing her eyes in a playful glare. "Stop it!"

Bren wiped the tears from his cheeks with good humor, setting a fatherly hand on her shoulder. "Ah, lass, you still haven't let that crush go after all these years, huh?"

Carys buried her face in her palms, groaning as her face flushed with heat. "I knew I shouldn't have told you about it! She's just so- so amazing! Why couldn’t I have been born earlier, if only to be closer to her in age?"

"Who’s so amazing?" Taryn asked casually as she walked by, catching the tail-end of their conversation. Carys groaned even louder in embarrassment this time, though the sound was slightly muffled by her hands. The sound prompted another round of Bren's giggles as he laughed at her expense. She dropped her hands suddenly, side-eyeing Bren’s cheeky grin. She could see the intent in his eyes even before he spoke. 

Before she could slap her palm over Bren's mouth - oh, how she fought against gravity to climb his large frame to do so, muttering with increasing urgency, "No, Bren,  _no, no, no, don’t say it!_ " - Bren was undeterred.

"This one’s had a crush on Jaina Proudmoore since she was five. Said she’d marry her one day," he revealed, jerking a thumb in her direction, before Carys finally managed to slap a palm over his grin, completely mortified. He chuckled heartily and swatted her hand away with ease.

Taryn watched their antics with a fond smirk. Then she gave a quirk of a slender eyebrow, shrugging nonchalantly, "Who doesn't have a crush on Jaina Proudmoore?" With that, she threw them a wink and sauntered away to resume her packing, leaving Carys and Bren slackjawed at the night elf.

Gradually, their laughter died down and Carys wiped away the residual tears of mirth in her eyes. "Alright, lass. Go pack your things, we leave in thirty," Bren told her with a fond smile.

Carys gave Bren a grateful hug, heart swelling with the knowledge that he'd cheered her up and moved away to begin packing her things. If she packed quickly, she might even have time to appease her growling stomach before they set off. 

Having already secured her sleeping skins to her bag, she ensured that her medicinal herbs and bandages were safely tucked in the main compartment of her satchel. While she was proficient in several healing spells, she hadn't quite mastered them. She preferred to save her mana and energy for more serious wounds, which left bandages and herbs for minor scratches and injuries. 

Before she could pull the pack of cured meats from her pack though, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She spun around to find Blue, who took a respectful step backwards when the action put their faces closer than expected.

"Hey, Blue," Carys greeted as she cleared her throat in embarrassment, cursing her traitorous cheeks for tinting pink the moment she regarded the enigmatic monk. She gasped as her gaze fell to the blood-soaked cloth in Blue's hand.

Carys grabbed her hand, suddenly remembering that Blue had been hurt in the battle, spinning the monk around to study three large gashes across her back intently. Carys sucked in a breath at the sight - the gashes were still weeping blood and they were deep enough that Carys could see muscle. Her back must have been on fire. Blue's nervous eyes met hers over her shoulder and Carys squinted at her, mouth tight with displeasure. "Why didn't you come to see me sooner?"

Carys followed her gaze as Blue's eyes darted to Bren and then back to her. She hadn't wanted to disturb their conversation. She let out a breath, feeling a little guilty. She should have remembered that Blue had been injured. After all, she'd only gotten hurt by protecting her from those beasts. "I'm sorry. Don't hesitate to interrupt next time, okay? Any injury takes precendence."

Blue bowed her head in apology and nodded. Carys was still holding on to her hand, and instead of embarrassment, she found that she rather liked the monk's rough and calloused hands. Despite all the strength and power that they were capable of, Blue's hand clasped hers so very gently. There was the safety that she felt again. 

Carys pulled her to the small clearing beside their camp, away from any possible prying eyes of the others, and instructed her to lean forward against a tree. Blue had taken off her tabard so that all she had on was a linen undershirt that hung loosely over her lean, muscular frame. She fought the urge to trace the taut muscle before her.  _Be professional, Carys!_

"I'm going to lift your shirt for a second," Carys warned, waiting for Blue's nod before proceeding. She winced in sympathy as Blue let out a sharp breath as the cloth peeled away from her back, sticky and weeping with purple blood. The gashes ran diagonally, almost all the way across her back, from her shoulder to her waist. Carys felt her heart jolt at the sight, felt it twist in her chest as Blue began to take deep, gasping breaths. It must have felt like agony for Blue to even react out loud.  

"I'll have to touch the wounds to heal you," Carys whispered, eyes apologetic, knowing that any contact with the gashes would be excruciating. But the monk didn't look nervous or scared, only giving a casual nod she continued to breathe deeply. Carys' heart fluttered at the amount of trust she saw reflected in those icy blue irises and she smiled appreciatively.

Gently, she placed both hands over the gashes. Blue didn’t even flinch, though she sucked in a pained breath and her palm that rested against the tree began to clench tightly in an empty fist. 

After muttering a few words in prayer, Carys’ palms began to glow with a soft, warm light. She probably looked a little terrifying, with her eyes glowing bright yellow as she called upon the Light to infuse her. But abruptly, she stopped her motions, though she kept her hands where they were.

She met Blue's surprised and confused gaze at the interruption. "If I use the Light… with you being of the Void. I- Will it hurt you? The healing masters in Boralus spoke of how the paladin Turalyon was hurt by Alleria when they touched because of the opposing energies."

Blue's gaze softened with understanding and Carys could tell that she was touched that she had thought to bring this up with her. But eventually, Blue shook her head reassuringly.

"Are you sure?" Carys asked, wanting explicit confirmation even if Blue could not speak. When Blue gave a resolute nod, she continued, "Please stop me if it starts to hurt." 

She whispered again the familiar holy words of prayer, and beneath her palms, she felt the jagged flesh slowly knit and weave together. 

The Light always felt warm and comforting to Carys, something she liked to describe as the warmth of a kitten laying on her chest and purring contentedly. But Carys studied Blue's face as she healed her, and it seemed that while the Light wasn't burning or causing her any pain, it definitely wasn’t as pleasant as a purring kitten either. The elf's eyebrows were furrowed and her eyes were narrowed as she fought to understand the unpleasant sensations running across her back. But once Carys pulled her hands away, Blue's grateful smile was reflected in her eyes as the pain faded.

"There," Carys said, shyly meeting Blue's eyes from beneath her lashes. She offered a smile. "Good as new."

Blue's gaze was almost paralyzing in its intensity. Their faces were so close now, allowing Carys to study the tiny flecks of silver in her irises, not missing the way Blue’s eyes would dart quickly down to her lips and back up. 

Carys broke their spell first, shuffling to her feet before the tension became unbearable. In her haste, she missed the way Blue's nose crinkled with amusement and adoration at her flustered state.

"I-I should, uh, go- go finish packing," she explained, inexplicably nervous, gesturing back to their camp. Even though she'd finished packing way before attending to her, but Blue didn't need to know  _that_. Offering Blue a parting smile, she returned to where Bren, Angus, Ceren and Taryn were sharing a meal of dried fruits and meats. 

Her heart was pounding for no reason. Of course, it must have been leftover adrenaline from the attack, and she gratefully accepted the strip of jerky that Bren offered. 

He looked at her curiously, obviously wondering why she looked so flushed, but dropped his wordless question at the minute shake of her head.  _Not now_ , she mouthed.

"It should be just after dawn," Bren reported to everyone and no one in particular, chewing a mouthful of jerky and washing it down with a generous swig from his waterskin. "Eat up. If we keep a quick pace, we should be in Fallhaven just after sundown."

Good. The faster they returned to Fallhaven, the better. Carys was eager to find out why her father had disappeared so abruptly because the more she thought about him, the more the worry would eventually drive her insane. And, attempting to tame the wild beating of her heart as the thoughts swirled in her head, she wanted to learn more about Blue, and _maybe,_ the perfect time for that would be while they traveled. 

She breathed deeply and steeled herself for the journey to come. 

 


End file.
